Abdelnasser Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti was arrested on October 18, 2020, by agents belonging to the Special Emergency Forces and the General Directorate of Investigations (GID) while he was on his way to Dibba Hospital. Both these forces fall under the authority of the Saudi Presidency of State Security (SSP).
Following his arrest, Abdelnasser al-Huwaiti was transferred to the GID (also known as Mabahith) prison in Tibuk for around a month, before being transferred to the SSP-run Dhabhan prison in Jeddah. There, he was held in solitary confinement for four months and subjected to psychological and physical acts of torture as a way of coercing him to confess to the charges brought against him. Such charges include inciting public opinion against the crown prince and committing a terrorist offense.
Nine months after his arrest, al-Huwaiti had his first hearing before the SCC. After five hearings, the court sentenced him to 27 years in prison.
On March 16, 2023, MENA Rights Group and ALQST for Human Rights requested the urgent intervention of several UN Special Procedures mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions and on the right to adequate housing. More specifically, we requested them to urge Saudi Arabia to repeal al-Huwaiti’s prison sentence.
